Schedule Detail

Sun - Mar 20, 2011 - Mount Penn - Antietam: Navigate → 🌎   W  Y  O  Br  G  R
Event Director: Angelica Riley
Course Setter: Ron Bortz and see choices to Volunteer to help at this event 🙏

Notes: Antietam Lake parking. Please carpool if you can.

ED/CS Notes:

Mt. Penn Anitetam, March 20, 2011

Event Director's Notes

(Wyatt & Angelica Riley)

Parking

is somewhat limited in the main lot – please park nose in on each side of the parking lot so we can fit as many cars in as possible with this lot that is less than 100m from Registration. There are two overflow parking areas, with a 400-800m walk to Registration. See this map: http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&t=h&msa=0&ll=40.355456,-75.870831&spn=0.011528,0.01929&z=16&msid=212060236907453377015.00049e63fdae073915437

for details on parking areas.

New Trails

There are several new Mt. Bike trails in the area that aren't on the made-in-2002 map. Intermediate & Advanced orienteers should simply focus on other terrain features if confused by the trails – these are generally quite good still – and White/Yellow orienteers should keep an eye out of streamers marking some of the mapped trails (as well as a marked route in the middle of the course) if confused.

Course Setter's Notes

   (Ron Bortz)

Before setting out today, I encourage everyone, advanced orienteers in particular, to read all the notes here, then decide which course is for you.

   The courses being offered today are a repeat of October 12, 2003. The exception is the Blue course which is totally new, which uses a combination of the control sites from the other advanced courses. Seven and a half years later, these courses should not seem familiar as this time around, as the green isn't out yet, and won't hinder your sight distance. Another difference is the proliferation of mountain bike trails. You will need to adjust your map reading for the advanced courses to consider trails as secondary to other land form and rock features.

Some further notes by course:

White – 2.34km.

   Most of the route is along heavily used significant trails. There is a marked route from #5-#6-#7 where the mapped trails have faded and new trails have appeared. In other areas, new trails have crisscrossed mapped trails, sometimes looking larger than the mapped trails. The mapped trails are streamered at some of these intersections to help you on your way. Pay attention to the streamers in these locations, to assist your map reading.

Yellow – 3.11km.

This course offers several opportunities to short cut to the next control for those who want to venture off the trail (or streamer-marked route.) From #3 to #4 to #5, there are streamers for the white legs mentioned above that can be helpful. You will also find an indistinct trail mapped between #5 & #6 that is marked with red X's – it is now overgrown to the point where you'll be much faster finding another way around.

Orange – 4.42km.

This course offers plenty of off trail short cuts for those who want to improve their navigational skills without relying on trails, and the park offers many trails as catching and relocation features. Keep in mind the aforementioned new bike trails, and pay attention to contour and rock features to confirm your location.

Brown 3.75km, Green 5.92 km, Red 7.32km

   At this early Spring date, the park is much more open than it was in October 2003. While a few of the control sites are slightly overgrown, the leaves aren't out yet, so even controls near bushes are generally visible from at least 20m away, often much further.

Blue 10.94km

This, in my opinion, is the most interesting of the advanced courses, as it offers multiple route choices on several of the legs. There are also three controls which you visit twice, creating a bit of crisscrossing. Approaching and leaving these controls from different perspectives each visit gives a different feel. If you want to spend as much time in these beautiful woods as you can on this hopefully fine first day of Sprint then I recommend you give this course serious consideration. This map doesn't leave much opportunity to get hopelessly lost; relocation features abound.

Road Crossings

Although roads on this map are not heavily traveled, mental alertness is still required when crossing as we cannot control the attentiveness of the person behind the wheel. Be careful.

Number of crossings: Orange & Brown: 2; Green: 5; Red: 6; Blue: 13.

Final Notes from the Course Setter

   Other plans are keeping me from attending this event but I will be visualizing a fine Spring day (crossing my fingers) for everyone to enjoy a day in the woods.

Feedback is so important to any course setter no matter what you have to say, so long as it is just as you see it. This encourages all setters to do their best to continue striving to create the most interesting courses possible in the future. I hope to see comments posted by many of you on my return home.

Have a great day outdoors.

Map Location:

Previous Results from this Map:
  Jul 14, 2019
  May 20, 2018
  Oct 09, 2016
  Sep 13, 2015
  Nov 30, 2014

Unless otherwise noted:

Pre-registration is recommended, discounted, and open until Thursday night, before the event.
Day-of-registration is available, at $10 for beginners, and $20 for other courses.

All starts are from 10:00am until 1:00pm unless otherwise noted. Follow the text directions and look for Orienteering road signs as you near the park.

Legend
W	White, beginner level 3km or less
Y	Yellow, advanced beginner 2.5 to 4km
O	Orange, intermediate 3.5 to 5.5km
Br	Brown, Short Advanced 3 to 5km
G	Green, Advanced 4.5 - 7km
R	Red, Longer Advanced 6 - 10km
Bl	Blue, Long Advanced 8 - 14kms
Sc	Score-O
Sp	Sprint-O
Adv	Advanced
	E-Punching
	Confirmed Event
	Special Event
Example O-Signs: